


The Next Step

by grlnamedlucifer



Category: Les Misérables - All Media Types
Genre: Asexual!Javert, Asexual!Valjean, Asexuality, Awkward self-sacrificing middle aged virgins, Communication Failure, M/M, Post-Seine
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-10
Updated: 2013-04-10
Packaged: 2017-12-08 03:06:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,951
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/756274
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/grlnamedlucifer/pseuds/grlnamedlucifer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Valjean has a feeling Javert's waiting on him to be ready take the next step. The problem being, he's not really sure that's ever going to happen.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Next Step

Valjean set the last plate on the table, keeping an eye on the window – the sun was setting, which meant his Inspector would be home soon. Javert had promised that morning that he would not work his normal late hours tonight, and had even promised to send along a note should anything cause him to have to break that promise. As no note had arrived, Valjean was reasonably assured his Inspector would arrive shortly.

Cosette had left an hour before, after Valjean had recruited her help in cooking dinner. Everything had to go perfectly tonight. He felt slightly guilty that he'd raised her so well to not ask questions, but he was mostly relieved to not have to answer _why_ tonight was so special. Then again, it was entirely possible the girl had guessed. She _was_ a married woman now, after all, and therefore would-

Valjean killed that line of thought before he could finish it. Tonight would be difficult enough without having to deal with thoughts of his daughter's marital activities as well.

///

It had been nearly a year since the night the barricades fell. Nearly a year since his and Javert's confrontation in the alley, since Javert had gone to... make a decision Valjean did not care to recall. He'd taken the Inspector into his home to recover, despite the man's initial protests. As the weeks wore on, forced into each other's company as they were, they began actually talking to each other instead of merely yelling over each other. To both their surprise, they found they enjoyed talking together, and soon considered themselves to be friends. 

When Javert had recovered enough that he could return to his own apartment, Valjean asked him to stay. And Javert stayed.

It seemed only natural for them to grow closer after that. With the assurance that neither was there out of pity or necessity, they each found themselves opening up more. Walks were taken together, dinners were shared, evenings became time for sitting before the fire reading together. A touch on the should as one passed by the other became a common occurrence, as did looks that were a bit more lingering than they perhaps should be.

It hardly came as a surprise when one night Javert went to retire to bed, but stopped first to give Valjean the briefest kiss.

There were longer kisses after that first one. There were times they found themselves on the couch for an hour or so, doing nothing but kissing. Their nightly reading before the fire progressed to Valjean reading aloud, Javert's head in his lap and Valjean stroking his hair. Eventually, Javert's room became disused, as they found they much preferred sleeping wrapped up in one another in Valjean's bed.

Just sleeping. They had not discussed progressing from just sleeping to... other bed activities. Despite having been the one to take the first step in their physical relationship, Javert never took that next one. He had never hinted that Valjean should either. Valjean rather suspected that Javert was simply waiting for Valjean to be ready. It was... rather sweet, he had to admit.

The problem was though, that he felt no more “ready” now than he had a year ago.

Valjean had lived his entire long life without having sex. Or the urge to have it. He'd spent that time barely thinking of it, really. He'd assumed, with Javert in his life as his love instead of his adversary, that those feelings would finally present themselves. But while he enjoyed – more than enjoyed, really – kissing Javert, having the man close to him... Valjean simply never felt the urge to take that next step. 

But that was what relationships did, was it not? Progressed to the next step? Wasn't it unfair then? To make Javert continue to wait for some moment of readiness that may never happen? Valjean loved the man. He loved making him happy. Surely the enjoyment he'd get in making Javert happy would be enough motivation.

///

Javert had been vocally appreciative of the meal, which settle at least some of Valjean's nerves. When he asked what the occasion was, Valjean had made some reply he was sure, but it was a so full of stammering that Javert had merely raised his eyebrow before letting the question go.

After the meal was finished and they'd spent some time simply holding hands as they finished their wine, Javert rose and went to clear their dishes. Valjean reached up and caught his sleeve. “Leave it, they can wait until morning.”

“Oh?” Javert asked. “And why might that be?”

In answer, Valjean stood and wrapped his arms around Javert's waist, kissing him deeply. “I just thought,” he said when they broke apart to breathe, “that perhaps we could retire to bed early tonight.”

“And when you say 'retire', you mean...” The rest of Javert's question went unsaid, but not unheard.

“I mean,” Valjean answered, trying not to fumble his words, “that perhaps its time we took the next step.”

Had Valjean expected Javert's eyes to cloud over with desire or the like, he would have been greatly disappointed. Instead, the man looked... almost concerned. After a long moment, he asked, “Are you certain?”

The apparent evidence that his assumption was correct and Javert _had_ been waiting for him to be ready only strengthened Valjean's desire to go through with it. Taking Javert's hand, he nodded, and began walking them to their bedroom.

///

The obvious starting point seemed to be for them to get undressed. They had both seen the other naked before, though usually just before they changed into their night shirts. They were neither of them particularly beautiful, each having their own scars from various causes in their past, but they were both pleasant enough to look at he supposed. Valjean considered blowing out the candles, but decided there would be fumbling enough with his lack of experience, so there was hardly a need to add not being able to see to it.

As they climbed into bed, Valjean admitted to himself that he was a little surprised Javert hadn't taken control of the situation yet. Admittedly, he didn't know if his Inspector had any more experience with this sort of thing than he did, but Javert had usually been the one to lead their physical involvement previously. Perhaps Javert thought Valjean needed to set his own pace? The thought was considerate, if frustrating.

Turning on his side, so he was facing Javert, Valjean tentatively ran his hand along Javert's side. Javert shivered a bit at the contact, making Valjean smile. Continuing the movement, he leaned over and started to kiss Javert.

It was nice, Valjean thought after a few minutes of kissing and tentatively touching each other. A bit awkward due to the fact that they were both naked, but not really any different than when they'd done this clothed. Especially as both seemed to be avoiding the obvious and keeping their explorations above the waist. It was pleasant enough, he guessed. He could do this.

He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed.

Hoping for some sign of encouragement, Valjean stopped kissing for a moment to look at Javert. To his frustration, he found no help there. He couldn't tell if the expression on Javert's face was one of pleasure or annoyance. Well, he corrected himself, not annoyance. He knew that one fairly well. No, Javert's face looked... blank. The way he looked when he thought he was being polite about being bored. “Are you alright?” Valjean couldn't help but ask.

“Hm?” Javert asked, sounding distracted. “Oh. Yes. Please, continue.”

Valjean frowned. That... did not sound as encouraging as Javert might think. “Is this alright? Because if you want-”

“I want whatever it is you want,” Javert interrupted, trying to draw Valjean back into a kiss.

Valjean shied away from the movement, something rather familiar in Javert's words. “But, do _you_ actually want _this_?” He started to wonder if he'd made a huge misjudgment somewhere. “Sex?”

Javert was silent for a long moment, though Valjean could practically read his thoughts flicking across his face. He almost wondered for a moment if the man was actually going to attempt to lie, horrible as he was at it. Finally, Javert sighed. “I have no particular interest in having sex, no,” he admitted. “But if it makes you happy, then you must know I'm more than willing to do so.”

It was the _completely_ wrong moment to laugh, Valjean knew, but he couldn't help himself. The ridiculousness of the situation combined with the warm feeling in his chest at Javert's words, however bluntly stated, forced it out of him. “I was perfectly happy with what we _had_ ,” Valjean laughed. “I didn't particularly want this either, to be honest!”

Javert stared at him, confusion and embarrassment warring in his features, and Valjean had to take a moment to kiss him. Soon enough though, he's shoved back. “But this was _your_ idea,” Javert snapped. “Why on earth did you start this then?”

Valjean shrugged. “Because I love you.”

Javert waited a moment, as if for him to continue. When he didn't, he said, “I love you as well, you idiot, but that hardly answers the question.”

Valjean smiled as he always did when Javert said he loved him, but then sobered. He put them in this awkward situation by making assumptions, it was only fair he explained properly. “Well it's just... this is the next step isn't it? After the kissing and all. When two people are in love, they usually... well,” he coughed. Javert at least was more comfortable in _saying_ it, it seemed. “They usually consummate their relationship, do they not?”

“Usually two people do not spend the first decade or two of their relationship with one trying to put the other behind bars,” Javert responded dryly. “It seems an odd time to start judging our relationship by other people's standards.”

It was Valjean's turn to be embarrassed now. “You're right, I should have just asked.”

“Yes, you should have.” Javert sighed again. “But you're hardly the only one here that didn't speak up,” Javert told him, as comfortingly as he could manage. “I've spent most of my life without this particular desire. I assumed when you never pushed to go further that you felt the same. When tonight it appeared I was wrong, I should have done something more than just going along with it.” He took Valjean's hand in his and brought it to his lips, kissing it gently. “I was under the impression we were doing better at this actually talking and listening to each other thing.”

Valjean nodded. “You're right, we were. And next time... even if we were both willing to make the other happy, we probably should've made sure that's actually what we were doing.” Removing himself from the bed, he retrieved his – and Javert's when requested – night shirt. When they were both redressed, Valjean finally blew out the candles before slipped back into bed. Then he paused. If they were apparently never going to progress to, well, sex, was this still acceptable? Javert had said, but... No time like the present to start asking, he supposed. “I... about what we had before-”

“Oh for Heaven's sake,” Javert snapped, grabbing his arm. “Come here.” Valjean smiled and let himself be pulled over enough that Javert could wrap his arms around him. Valjean placed a kiss on whatever bit of Javert was nearest to him, before settling his head on his Inspector's chest with a contended sigh. Practically nothing had gone the way he'd intended, after dinner, but he found he had no reason to complain at how perfectly it had ended.

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the kinkmeme prompt: "Post-failed suicide attempt, Javert and Valjean's new friendship has gradually started down the road to something more, though they haven't gone any further than kissing or casual touching, and haven't even discussed the possibility of actually having sex. One day one of them decides to take that next step, and the other is on board, but they only get so far before they realize neither one of them is really all that into it. Cue awkward conversation where they finally admit neither actually wanted to have sex, but was willing to go along since the other did, and that's what people in relationships do don't they, but really can we just stick with the making out cause that bit was nice..."


End file.
